Author: Chmshkian Vicken

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

BISHOP NAREG CHAIRS THE JOINT COMMITTEE BETWEEN THE WORLD COUNCIL OF
CHURCHES AND CHRISTIAN WORLD COMMUNIONS

22-23 June 2009, Bishop Nareg Alemezian, the Ecumenical Officer of the
Catholicosate chaired the annual meeting of the Committee between the World
Council of Churches and Secretaries of Christian World Communions. In his
welcome, he expressed his optimism about their work and said: "I am
convinced that our cooperation as churches through councils and Christian
world communions will continue bearing its fruit as we continue to respond
together to the challenges of the 21st century."

After hearing brief reports on ecumenical relations from the participants,
the committee discussed modes of cooperation on the following issues:
Christian-Muslim relations; Joint Assemblies; Bilateral Dialogues and
Christian Unity; 2011 International Peace Convocation organized by the WCC.

The committee is expected to report to the 8th Assembly.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

Pandey is leaving Armenia
09:06 pm | June 26, 2009 | Official

President Serzh Sargsyan met today with outgoing Indian Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Reena Pandey.
The head of state praised Pandey’s contribution to the development of
bilateral relations.
Serzh Sargsyan underscored with satisfaction the high level of
political dialogue and the growing rates of trade and commerce that
doubled this year.
The head of state also expressed gratitude to the Indian government
for its attitude toward the Indian Armenian community.
Ambassador Pandey said that she is content as she looks back at the
past three and a half years in terms of progress and attached
importance to the establishment of an IT center in Yerevan.
The diplomat also mentioned that the Indian government has responded
to Armenia’s rural development program and is implementing serious
projects in one of the rural communities of the Lori region, which
falls in line with President Sargsyan’s strategic plans for
development in the regions.
The sides underscored the effective bilateral cooperation within
international organizations. Reena Pandey also said that India praises
Armenia’s position on the most important issues in India. In his turn,
Sargsyan welcomed
India’s balanced position on regional issues.
Sargsyan wished Reena Pandey success and expressed confidence that she
will always be a good friend of Armenia.

ey

CHINA TO OFFER TECHNICAL-ECONOMICAL ASSISTANCE OF 15 MILLION YUAN TO ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
24.06.2009 19:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On June 24, 2009, RA Deputy Foreign Minister Karine
Ghazinyan and Chinese Ambassador to Armenia Hong Jiuyin signed an
agreement on technical-economical collaboration between RA and Chinese
Governments, RA MFA Press Service reported.

The agreement stipulates for technical assistance of 15 million yuan
(USD 2 million) to Armenia.

DELEGATION HEADED BY ARMENIAN PM TO LEAVE FOR KARABAKH

ARMENPRESS
June 19, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
is leaving June 20-21 on a working visit for Nagorno Karabakh to
participate in the "Bridge Artsakh" economic conference in Stepanakert.

Within the framework of the visit the delegation of the Armenian prime
minister will meet with the members of the government of Karabakh.

Governmental press service told Armenpress that the delegation headed
by the prime minister consists of head of government’s staff David
Sargsyan, Finance Minister Tigran Davtyan, Economy Minister Nerses
Yeritsyan, Agricukture Minister Gerasim Alaverdyan, Urban Minister
Vardan Vardanyan, Transport and Communication Minister Gurgen Sargsyan
and other officials.

FARHAD BADALBAYLI: THE NEXT MEETING OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN COMMUNITIES OF NAGORNO KARABAKH WILL BE LIKELY HELD IN JULY

APA
June 17 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Ulkar Gasimova – APA. "We want the next meeting with Armenian
community of Nagorno Karabakh to be held in the neutral area.

This is very important for us and talks are being held now," rector of
Baku Music Academy, people’s artist Farhad Badalbayli told APA. He said
that the meeting is scheduled for July. Badalbayli said the principles
of coexistence will be discussed after the problem is solved.

"We should know how our people will live there, who will ensure their
security, which peacekeepers will be deployed in the region. Our
people will return there without weapons. This is very important. Of
course this is not a one-day work. Discussions will be held on the
restoration of the houses knocked down in Karabakh. There are many
problems, they should be discussed," he said.

Badalbayli said it is not exactly known who will represent Azerbaijan
at the meeting.

"Polad Bulbuloglu, or Kamal Abdullah may represent Azerbaijan, I
may also be invited. Of course, heads of executive powers of Shusha,
Aghdere should attend the meeting from Azerbaijani side," he said.

Farhad Badalbayli said talks with the ordinary people living in that
territory are also important for the solution of the problem.

ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN FMs DISCUSS ISSUES ON BILATERAL RELATIONS

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 15, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandyan who is in Moscow to participate in the CSTO session met
June 14 with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Media relations department of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told
Armenpress that during the meeting the sides discussed a number
of issues on boosting Armenian-Russian relations. Armenian and
Russian foreign ministers also referred to a number of regional and
international issues.

Press TV, Iran
June 13 2009

Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in Iran
Sat, 13 Jun 2009 08:41:16 GMT

Iran is scheduled to host the Armenian orchestra which will present
the Russian composer Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 at Vahdat Hall
in Tehran.

Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 will be presented July 1-3, Fars
news agency reported on Saturday.

This is the first time Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 will be
presented in Iran.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was a Russian composer of the
Romantic era. He wrote some of the most popular concert and theatrical
music in the current classical repertoire, including the ballets Swan
Lake and The Nutcracker, the 1812 Overture, his First Piano Concerto,
several symphonies, and the opera Eugene Onegin.

The Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 was composed by
Tchaikovsky between November 1874 and February 1875. It was revised in
the summer of 1879 and again in December 1888. It is considered one of
the most popular of Tchaikovsky’s works and among the best known of
all piano concerti.

HRF/JG

RA HAS SPENT EURO 225 000 TO PROMOTE TOURISM IN ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
12.06.2009 16:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Tourism development is one of the main tasks of
RA Government. Beside winter tourism in Armenia, we’re also planning
to promote health improving tourism in Jermouk. We’ve already got in
touch with organizations in charge, to help improve health improving
tourism in Armenia and present it on international level, Head of
Tourism Department at RA Economy Ministry Mekhak Apresyan told a
news conference in Yerevan, adding that besides winter tourism,
adding that adventure tourism and eco-tourism, new strategies of
service presentation will be developed.

When questioned by PanARMENIAN.Net reporter as to the ways Armenia
plans to develop tourism, Apresyan spoke about Tskakhadzor advertising
conducted via CNN and Euronews TV channels.

According to Apresyan, this year, Euro 225 000 were spent on creation
of 52-minute documentary on tourist attractions in Armenia. The
movie was created with the assistance of Spanish "Transglobe" and
"Bus business" companies.

"Many TV companies are interested in purchasing the documentary,
including "TVE" Spanish TV channel with an audience of 450 million
people, and "Scandinavien", which will be advertising Armenian tourism
in Scandinavian countries," Apresyan noted.

He also added that RA Government has financed reconstruction of
village houses, where tourists could familiarize themselves with
local population’s customs and way of living.

IFC ALLOCATES $5 MILLION CREDIT LINE TO ARDSHININVESTBANK AS PART OF GLOBAL TRADE FINANCE PROGRAMME

Arminfo
2009-06-10 18:36:00

ArmInfo. The International Financial Corporation (IFC) is going to
allocate a $5 million credit line to Ardshininvestbank as part of
the Global Trade Finance Programme (GTFP). A relevant contract was
officially signed at Ardshininvestbank Head Office on Wednesday by
Sergey Virabyan, the Vice Chairman of Ardshininvestbank Board and
Snezhana Stoilkovich, the Director of the Central and Eastern Europe
Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

S.Virabyan said that in the background of the global financial and
economic crisis the IFC credit line will provide an opportunity
to Ardshininvestbank and local businessmen to carry out export
and import operations through more flexible and accessible credit
instruments (letters of credit, guarantees, bills of exchange, banks
acceptance). This will reduce trade risks of the Armenian businessmen
engaged in the international trade. ‘The credit line is not only
assistance to Ardshininvestbank, but also investment in the economy
of Armenia’, Sergey Virabyan said.

For his part, Vice Chairman of the Armenian Central Bank Vache
Gabrielyan highlighted the importance of cooperation with international
structures and said that the external financing can be used to expand
the activity of Ardshininvestbank and develop economy of Armenia in
conditions of the global crisis. He is sure the trade finance for
local companies will play an important role in formation of favorable
business environment. As regards deepening of cooperation with the IFC
and the plans to open a new credit line, S. Virabyan said negotiations
are currently underway with the IFC for another SME support credit
of $10 million. He said the bank will on-lend the credit provided as
part of IFC credit programs to its clients on maximum acceptable terms.

Ardshininvestbank is among the top five leader-banks by credits as
of April 1 2009 (almost 75 billion dram of 62% of total assets). The
share of the bank’s credits to economy in the credit portfolio is
nearly 60%. By this indicator the bank has occurred among top three of
leaders. The bank is the leader by credits to the industrial sector –
18.1 billion drams or almost 25% of the credit portfolio.

The IFC is one of the majority shareholders of Ardshininvestbank with
a 10pct stake.

ARMENIAN PREMIER FORECASTS 2% ECONOMIC UPTURN IN ARMENIA IN 2010

ARKA
June 9, 2009

YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. Armenia is likely to post a 2% economic growth
in 2010, RA Prime Minister was quoted as saying on Tuesday. "We have
been too cautious when making 2010 forecasts.

We will draw a budget with an economic upturn of around 2% and up to 6%
deficit," RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan was quoted saying during
the EurAsEc meeting in Moscow.

According to the premier, Armenia has not yet felt the strong impact
of the global economic downturn.

"The Central Bank and Government have expanded their policy. We have
increased sharply this year’s budget deficit that is forecast to
reach 7%, with inflation remaining low," Sargsyan said, ruling out
inflationary pressure in 2009. "We will end this year with around 5%
inflation," the premier added.

The premier stressed that the RA Government’s anti-crisis measures are
similar to those undertaken in other member-states of EurAsEc. "Though
these measures help alleviate the impact of the global financial and
economic crisis, they cannot totally eliminate it," the prime minister
said, adding the Armenian government would make further efforts to
boost the country’s economy.

Armenia posted a 9.7% year-on-year economic downturn between January
and April 2009, with GDP totaling 638,939.3mln drams.